Faith In Action: Courage Stickers — Long-term
Materials for Activity
- Courage stickers (Made with Leader Resource, Courage Stickers, in Session 14.)
- Large clear plastic container, such as a pretzel jar
- Piece of blank paper
- Newsprint, markers and tape
- Leader Resource, Parrots for Pennies Letter to Parents
Preparation for Activity
- Alert the director of religious education if you wish to have the children present their courage stickers and tell their courage stories during worship or coffee hour.
- Post the newsprint where children can see it and you can write on it.
- Come up with a list of organizations for which the group could raise a small amount of money.
Description of Activity
If the group began the Faith in Action: Courage Stickers project in Session 14, today the children will report back to the group on what they have done and learned.
You may like to have children share during Activity 1: Gems of Goodness. Or, if you have a special time during your session for Faith in Action, the sharing can take place then.
Whether the sharing occurs in your meeting space or during worship, in front of the congregation, invite children who wish to to stand up and show the courage stickers on their chest, and or tell about someone they gave a sticker to and describe the story they told. For either scenario, the teacher should have some extra “courage” stickers on hand for those who forgot to bring them back or to wear them and for those who think of courageous things they did that they had not thought of previously. You might allow the children to invite a parent to visit your session today to share a particularly good story about the child’s, or their own, courage in the face of injustice.
INCLUDING ALL PARTICIPANTS
This is an out-of-session activity that some children will be more likely to complete than others. It has to be a voluntary activity.
FAITH IN ACTION: PARROTS FOR PENNIES – LONG-TERM (15 MINUTES)
MATERIALS FOR ACTIVITY
¨ Large clear plastic container, such as a pretzel jar
¨ Piece of blank paper
¨ Newsprint, markers and tape
¨ Leader Resource, Parrots for Pennies Letter to Parents
PREPARATION FOR ACTIVITY
§ Post the newsprint where children can see it and you can write on it.
§ Come up with a list of organizations for which the group could raise a small amount of money.
DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY
For the first part of this multi-part Faith in Action activity you will lead the children to choose an organization or cause to which they will donate pennies they collect. This project will emphasize working hard to meet an important goal while inspiring others to help, just as the brave little parrot and other courageous, persevering heroes and heroines did.
Show them the large plastic container and ask the children if they can agree to keep working until the jug is filled with coins. Tell them that they do not have to fill the jug just with their own coins, but they can use their perseverance and determination to get other people to help fill the jug, so that they can provide money to a good cause that they care about.
Lead a brainstorming session to identify an organization or cause the children want to support with Parrots for Pennies. You might introduce them to Heifer Project International, UNICEF, a local food pantry or homeless shelter, an animal rescue organization, or an effort of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee or another national or local organization to help people recovering from a recent disaster. Use the newsprint to record their ideas and suggestions. Allow some discussion, then ask the group to decide by consensus or, if necessary, a vote.
Next, lead a brainstorm about ways the children can earn or collect money to put in the jar and to inspire others to help. Remind them that as people see their perseverance, they, too will want to contribute and support the effort, just as the God transformed himself into an eagle to help the brave little parrot.
Use another page of newsprint to note all of the children’s ideas for inspiring others in the congregation to help. Examples could be to put a clear plastic container on their kitchen table at home and ask their family members to put any extra coins in it at the end of the day. They might like to ask neighbors to give some coins.
The group may be enthusiastic about making a “pitch” during worship announcements for members of the congregation to contribute coins for several weeks in a row until the jar is full. Session 16, Faith in Action: Parrots for Pennies includes guidance for making a presentation about this Faith in Action project to the congregation during worship. Session 16 also provides guidance for preparing a bake sale to raise coins for the Parrots for Pennies jar.
Once you have decided on the cause you will raise coins for, help a few volunteers make a sign for the front of the large plastic container letting people in the congregation know that you are gathering coins and that they can contribute. Use the phrase “Parrots for Pennies” on the jar; this will prompt others in the congregation to ask questions, and give you and the children opportunities to retell the story and revisit the theme of perseverance for an important cause or goal.
Remind the children to bring in coins for the next session if they are able.
Including All Participants
Do not assume that all the children are equally able to gather and bring in or earn pennies or coins. Remind them that this is a voluntary activity and that even if they brought in three pennies that they found behind the couch, this would be helping the cause. Their determination to help is the most important factor.Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.
